


All Gays Ho to Heaven

by at1stsoo



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Clubbing, Comedy, Fluff, Graduation, Humor, M/M, No ship is a side pair - all four are main pairs, Post-Graduation, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:09:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24852865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/at1stsoo/pseuds/at1stsoo
Summary: A tale of three graduations: past, present, and maybe future. Also: four different ways to hook up at a club.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun
Comments: 59
Kudos: 298
Collections: The GraduaXion





	All Gays Ho to Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> Story inspired by this pic:  
> 

Kyungsoo is scraping the bottom of the tub of puppy chow for the final bits of kibble, cursing to himself that he let it get so low. He always restocks, meticulously, but the busy week got away from him. Hoochoo tilts her little head in that adorable pupper way, excited but confused that it’s already chow time.

“I know, I know, it’s early. But daddy’s going out tonight,” Kyungsoo explains uselessly to his pooch as he fills her bowl. Normally, they snuggle on the couch while Kyungsoo avoids his homework and binge-watches anime until midnight when it’s feeding time right before they fall into bed. Every day is mostly the same in his mundane college existence: classes in the morning, work at the grocery store in the afternoon, then a quiet night at home with his furry companion. Kyungsoo has no energy for socializing after dealing with noisy classmates and rude customers all day. Hoochoo is ideal company, if you ask him.

He scratches behind her ears as she plops her head into the food dish to chow down. He’s checking her water when a car screeches to a stop outside and the horn blares.

Great. They’re here.

Kyungsoo looks for his wallet, which was just on the coffee table a few minutes ago. Ugh, maybe Hoochoo took it to her ‘secret’ collection of various treasures that smell like Kyungsoo.

There’s a rap at the door, and two guys let themselves in without waiting for Kyungsoo’s invitation.

“Yo!” Baekhyun hollers, despite the fact that this tiny apartment doesn’t require louder than normal volume to hear everything just fine. “Hurry your fat ass up!”

“Be nice or he might back out,” hisses Minseok.

“I _am_ being nice,” Baekhyun insists. He waltzes into the bedroom where Kyungsoo is bent over, fishing his wallet out from under the bed mixed in with Hoochoo’s nest of socks. “I mean phat like, wow, spare some ass for the rest of us, Soo.” He slaps Kyungsoo’s butt and quickly jumps back to avoid the retaliatory blow he knows is coming. “Haha, missed me,” Baek taunts as Kyungsoo swings at air.

Minseok steps between them to break up the bickering, under the guise of needing to straighten the bedspread and tuck the corner under.

Kyungsoo gestures toward the thick silver chain dangling from his best frenemy’s neck. “What’s with the chain? Are you some wannabe biker?”

“Well I do hope to straddle and ride something tonight. Does that count?” Baekhyun says with a glint in his eye, disappearing into Kyungsoo’s closet right after.

“That’s it. I’m not going.” Kyungsoo removes the wallet he’d just pocketed and tosses it onto his desk.

“Oh come on, Kyungsoo. This is supposed to be my graduation send off. Don’t make me go with him by myself,” Minseok pleads.

“He’s gonna ditch us for dick the first chance he gets.”

Minseok gasps, mock-affronted. “At _my_ graduation send-off??”

Baekhyun pipes up from the deep recesses of Kyungsoo’s closet. “Player’s gotta _play!_ It’s a celebration, not a funeral.”

Minseok considers this and ultimately approves. “Touché. Well, all the more reason I’ll need a buddy to hang with,” he singsongs to Kyungsoo, way too cutely for his age.

“You’ll have Sehun,” Kyungsoo counters.

“He’s the designated driver and _super_ surly about it already.” As if on cue, the car horn blasts angrily outside Kyungsoo’s window, making them flinch. “That’s no way to party. Come on, it’s only one week until I graduate. We’re running out of chances to do this before I’m supposed to _adult_ ,” Minseok says, shaking Kyungsoo’s shoulders back and forth.

“Alright, fine, _fine_. Let’s go.” Kyungsoo gives in.

Baekhyun emerges from out of nowhere, throwing a white blazer at Kyungsoo and swiping a hand quickly through Soo’s hair while he’s occupied with catching the jacket. “Now you’re ready. Let’s do this!”

Kyungsoo reaches up to feel his hair, and realizes Baek sneakily styled it up with product he must have found from his In Case of Emergency drawer in the bathroom.

“Where are we even going?” he asks.

“New club. It’s called Heaven!” Baekhyun says, breaking out into boyband song right after. _“Hello, aaaaaangel!”_ Kyungsoo sighs as Minseok grabs him by the wrist and tugs him toward the door.

“Say a prayer for me, Hoochoo,” he mumbles to his dog as they spill out of his apartment.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

They pull into a dark parking lot and Kyungsoo eyes the neon sign above the rusty warehouse entrance with suspicion. It’s got gaudy clouds and Heaven spelled out in cursive, capslock on. Plastic cherubs that were probably picked up from some garage sale are tacked up on either side of the sign.

“Um… are we sure we’re not going to contract a disease the moment we cross the threshold?” Sehun remarks as he steps out of the car, lips pressed in a thin line. “This place looks like tetanus personified.”

“They’re legit, okay. They have a liquor license, a DJ, and a dance floor.” Ever the optimist, Baekhyun flounces toward the front door, his auburn hair bouncing along with him. “What else do we need?”

“A firm time that we’re leaving. Decided on _now_ because I’m not putzing around until dawn looking for you,” Sehun warns.

“A curfew, really?” Minseok says, wrinkling his nose. “Y’all, I’m not feeling very celebrated here.”

“1:00 am.”

Baekhyun blows a raspberry and decides not to dignify the time with a retort.

“I mean it, guys! Whether your asses are in my car or not, at 1:00 am, I’m leaving. You can’t expect me to sit here sober for more than three hours,” Sehun whines.

“I think that’s fair,” Kyungsoo agrees, patting Sehun on the back.

“Shut up, Kyungsoo,” Baek and Minseok say in unison.

They’ve reached the line to enter the place and queue up with the other partygoers. Kyungsoo finds it odd that there are so many people that they need crowd control to let people in, but whatever. Everyone here seems about their age; maybe the club really is that good, if they only opened this week and there’s this much demand.

Or maybe the real issue is that the campus police have been patrolling fraternity row too frequently, after a rumor spread that seniors from the various frats were planning a one-month, round the clock beer crawl leading up to the end of the semester. One week in, and almost half of them seem poised for getting an expulsion as opposed to a diploma.

Cue the student body’s hunt for a new place to party.

The people gathered around the entrance are getting rowdy. Kyungsoo peers around Minseok to get a closer look at what the fuss is about when someone steps on his foot. Hard.

"Fuck!"

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Jongin can't wait to get piss drunk. Screw that dance eval and screw that professor. She's so old school, she couldn't see the beauty in modern contemporary if it were to crawl up and bite her in the ass.

"You're grumpy," Jongdae chastises.

"Is that a crime?" he snarls.

"On a Friday night at a new club? Yes," Chanyeol says. "I'm pretty sure they won't let us in if you look like you're ready to fight the first person who touches you."

"We can probably try to sell it to the bouncer, that Jongin here is just going for that tall, dark, and mysterious look to hook the ladies-"

"Or men," Yeol interjects, with a hwaiting fist pump.

"Or men, of course, that are hungry for that bad boy aura, ooooo," Jongdae finishes his sentence with wiggly psychedelic fingers for maximum effect.

Chanyeol laughs along, poking at Jongin's ribcage. "What kind of truth in advertising is this? You're a puppy, all bark and no bite, Nini."

Irritated, Jongin pulls Chanyeol into a headlock and puts just enough pressure in his arm to make him gag.

"Leggo, leggo," Yeol rasps, trying to back away and colliding with someone standing in line ahead of them.

"Fuck!" yelps the unfortunate guy whose foot just got trampled.

Jongin turns to look at the dude, ready to engage in a stare off or fuck it, maybe he **_will_** start a fight tonight with more than just Chanyeol. What he sees stops him in his tracks. His arm goes limp around Yeol's neck, releasing him enough to allow for a coughing fit, and Jongin strings some words together. "H-hi."

Okay, maybe just one word. Because this guy is gorgeous. We're talking five alarm fire hot: big eyes, full lips, perfect skin. Jongin, being in the arts, must appreciate beauty in whatever form it takes: dance moves, canvas paintings, this man...

"I'm Jongin," he tries again. Beautiful Boy is looking down at his injured foot, scowling and shaking it off. The motion causes Jongin's eyes to wander down thick thighs in tight skinny jeans to the _adorable_ leg shake he's doing right now.

"Well, Jongin," Handsome Hottie says, rich voice dripping with frustration, "could you please watch where you're going?" He finally peels his eyes away from his achy foot to glare at Jongin, luscious eyebrows pulled into a sexy furrow that relaxes once their eyes meet, morphing into a momentary flash of surprise.

Jongin’s inner voice cheers, thanking a higher power for gifting him his god-tier looks. Even with a less than stellar introduction, he’s got a shot with Hottie – he can feel it.

"'s my fault," Chanyeol offers, between coughs. "I'm the one who gotcha."

At this point, Hottie's friends have turned to see what's going on, and one of the crew lights up in a bright smile.

"Well you're definitely in the running," the cheeky redhead says, looking at Chanyeol appreciatively.

"Uh, for what?" he asks.

"For fun times in the bathroom later," the guy says with a wink.

Chanyeol does a deer in headlights impression, pointing to himself and checking to see if there's someone behind him the guy might properly be referring to.

"Ohhhh and you're himbo, too. Yeah, imma keep my eye on you," the guy promises.

"Why not just skip the club and fuck him now?" Jongdae asks, amused.

"Because, the night is young, and I'm into window shopping. Gotta see all the merchandise first."

"Gross, Baek, stop objectifying the poor dude," Hottie says, spinning him around to face forward. The whole time they've been conversing, the line has inched closer to the entrance until their pack of four has reached it now.

The bouncer checks their IDs and starts to wave the group inside. Jongin is fumbling with his wallet to get his out while yelling at Dae and Chanyeol to get theirs too, quick! But the gaudy red rope is closed in front of them. "Not yet, we're at capacity," the bouncer grunts.

"Wait!" Jongin calls out to the beautiful boy, slipping away. "What's your name?"

Hottie turns around and stares at him quizzically, still walking backwards toward the club. "Why?"

"Because you're gorgeous!" Jongin is now yelling in attempt to be heard over the deep bass of the music now thrumming through the open doors that Hottie is approaching.

Hottie purses his lips, shakes his head, and points at the one he called Baek. "This is the one looking to get laid tonight, not me." And then he's pulled inside by his friends and the doors close again.

Dammit.

"Our angsty fighter has transformed into a lovesick pup in a matter of..." Jongdae checks his watch. "Five minutes."

"New record," Yeol muses.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

"Well that was weird," Minseok yell-whispers as they weave through the edges of the club, heading for the bar.

"What? Kyungsoo being hit on? No it's not," Sehun says, defensive of his hyung.

"No! I’m talking about that guy who was with him," Minseok says.

"The himbo?" Baek suggests.

"No, the **other** guy. Haven't we met him before?"

"I dunno, he didn't look familiar to me. Soo?" Sehun asks. Kyungsoo is staring off into nothingness as the sea of bodies tosses them about in a sidewinding pattern toward the bar. "Kyungsoo?"

"Huh? What?" Kyungsoo seems to snap out of his trance. "What was the question?"

"Did you recognize him?" Minseok asks again.

"NO and it was probably just a prank his friends put him up to or something, I've definitely never talked to that Jongin guy before this," he says defensively, and Minseok gives up trying to explain yet again who he's referring to. He _knows_ that face, though. Something about the guy’s cheekbones and kittenish smirk stand out in Minseok’s mind, like they’re part of a puzzle he’s already solved.

By the time they get to the bar, they've already lost Baekhyun, likely browsing to see which 'lucky lad' will get the honor to buy his first drink. Sehun uses his broad shoulders to make space for himself and Kyungsoo at the bar, politely offering a seat to Minseok as he approaches.

"For the graduate," he says somewhat sarcastically, but he's giving a fond smile and Minseok feels his heart warm.

"Aww, what a good maknae," Minnie coos, giving Sehun a nice pat on the cheek. "I'll pay for your first water, bwahaha."

Sehun reacts to the joke about his required sobriety with his sternest bitchface and summons the bartender. "You're on your way to lame dad jokes too soon, hyung. You haven't even left college and it's like you're stepping straight into a retirement home."

Minseok grimaces but takes the good-natured jab. “You’ll miss me and my amazing jokes next year, just admit it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sehun snarks sarcastically. He shrugs Minseok’s hand off his shoulder but he’s looking wistful. Minseok leans his head on Sehun’s shoulder for a quick snuggle, feeling regretful that he’s brought up their inevitable separation. Sehun may be two years younger, but they’ve been neighbors since grade school and roommates the past two years of college together.

“Okay, for real, where’s the booze?” Minseok calls out loudly to distract himself from getting sappy. He finally manages to get the bartender over, ordering two shots of whiskey for him and Kyungsoo and a glass of water for Sehun. Kyungsoo, who seems to still be in a daze from the encounter with his random admirer, is lucid enough to plop down money before Minseok can.

"To Minseok, wherever his brains may take him," he toasts. “Even if it’s the other side of the globe.”

"Here here!" agrees Sehun, as they all clink glasses and throw back their liquids. Sehun actually forgets he's holding a glass of water and tips it too far while the others down their whiskey. Some water sloshes down his chin and onto his shirt.

The older two crack up at his mistake. "Aww did you have an accident?" Minseok babytalks at him. "Do we need to get you changed?"

The bartender tosses some napkins at Sehun. "Good thing you're switching to water. You've clearly had enough tonight."

"I wasn't even drinking!" Sehun retorts back, exasperated.

"That's what they all say," the barkeep says with a sigh, and then he's gone to serve another customer at the other end of the packed counter.

Sehun looks like he wants to get another word in, but he'd be yelling at the guy's back, so he lets it go.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

"Coming right up!" Junmyeon does his best to smile and keep his energy up, but he's only been working for half an hour, and he's already feeling the strain of the hustle. He mixes his twentieth Long Island Iced Tea and sets the stirrer in the sink, noticing it's getting full and he'll need to tend to dishes soon.

Bartending on opening night is rough.

At least people are tipping decently, given the age demographic he's serving. Junmyeon has already made more than he would've in a four hour shift at the convenience store. And the dance music is more uplifting than the neutral lounge music of the store. That bland shit had made him feel like he was in a sterile institution, slowly losing his mind. Overall, this is a good change.

He's overhearing a lot of the college kids discuss putting off their approaching final exams and smirks. He definitely doesn't miss the stress, but he feels a twinge of nostalgia for his own final days of university. Back before the day to day bills, when hope for a bright future was still fully in bloom...

Junmyeon shakes his head again and reminds himself that tonight is a fresh start. He can put the past several months of rejected job applications and networking meetings that went nowhere and just be happy he's got a change of scenery and a new gig.

He fixes a big round of vodka shots for a gaggle of girls, and then hears a familiar voice summoning to his right.

"Yo bartender! What's your best drink for getting wasted fast?" Chanyeol barks at him.

Junmyeon grins. "Y'all made it. Thanks for coming out."

"We get top shelf shit for free, right?" Jongdae asks with a Cheshire cat grin. "Perks of knowing the management, yeah?"

"I'm not *management* exactly," Junmyeon corrects him. "Just head bartender and there's only two of us."

"Whatever, oh successful one," his little brother teases. The hint of resentment is almost lost among the noise of the club. Almost.

"Hey. You're gonna get there," Junmyeon says, consolingly, but Jongdae brushes him off and bangs the counter playfully with his fist.

"What's a guy gotta do to get a beer around here, huh? I wanna speak to a _real_ manager!"

"Make it three and make it snappy!" Chanyeol chimes in.

"Settle down, you Karens." Junmyeon smiles as he quickly pops the tops of some imported bottles for them. Jongdae and Chanyeol snatch them up eagerly, but Jongin fails to react when Junmyeon pushes the bottle toward him. "Jongin?"

"What do you think he drinks?" Jongin asks, staring across the bar.

"Huh?" Junmyeon follows Jongin's gaze to a shorter guy with dark hair, smiling and chatting with some friends. "Oh, I served them straight whiskey."

"Okay, give me two whiskeys."

Junmyeon smirks. "You able to pay for those, Romeo?"

Jongin hands over his credit card. Jongdae lets out a low whistle. "Oh ho, Jongin's serious about this one. Starting a tab? To woo a guy who's already walked away from you once tonight?"

"I'll be sure to cut him off after $50, for his own good," Junmyeon says, filing the card away. He pours the whiskies and as soon as they're down on the counter, Jongin swipes them up and takes off, leaving behind the beer.

"One for you, big bro?" Jongdae waggles the opened bottle of imported beer in front of him.

"I can't drink on the job, Dae."

"Aight, two for me then!" Jongdae doubles up, one bottle for each hand, and takes a long swig from each with Chanyeol cheering him on.

Oh boy, this is gonna be a long night.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Sehun can feel the headache building already, and they've only been in the club about fifteen minutes. The bass is thumping triple time with the rave music the DJ is pushing tonight. It courses through his chest hard enough to make him shift side to side on his feet.

"Don't look so tortured, Hunnie," Minseok teases with a poke to his cheek, massaging away the frowny face. "I'm not buying it. You look like you wanna dance."

Sehun shrugs. He enjoys dancing, doesn't need to be tipsy as an excuse to cut a rug on the dance floor. It's probably the only fun he'll have all night. But before giving in directly, an idea pops in his head. "Only if Kyungsoo joins," he says with an evil grin.

"No." Kyungsoo's answer comes out before Sehun even finishes the suggestion. He downs the rest of his whiskey before elaborating. "No, you two would just leave me behind in a mess of sweaty bodies. I'll watch from here instead."

"You need more liquid courage to loosen you up. Bartender!" Minseok chirrups. His call goes unanswered, however, as the one man responsible for serving what seems like 50 people at the counter is busy with other orders.

Sehun can't help but admire the cheeriness on the bartender's face amid all the hustling and bustling around. _'Wonder what's so good in this guy's life. No one is this happy to flood college kids with booze.’_ The guy is wearing a white button down with the sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms that flex as he uses a shaker to mix a drink. Sehun reminds himself that staring is impolite and turns around just in time to hear:

"Hey, I heard you like whiskey."

Sehun snorts. It's that guy from outside the club, back to hit on Kyungsoo some more. Sehun can tell that his hyung is trying to play it cool, but the tips of Kyungsoo’s ears are bright red. Oh yes, he is definitely smitten. While Sehun isn’t exactly excited to be here, he might as well play wingman.

"Well suit yourself, Kyungsoo. Minnie and I are off to dance!" Sehun grabs Minseok's arm and drags him into the throng of bodies, winking at a hapless Kyungsoo who is now calling after them.

"Wait, I'll dance, too!"

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

"Oh, so you dance? That's awesome! Me too. I'm a dance major actually," the cute guy -Jongin- rambles.

Kyungsoo can't stop his eyes from traveling up and down Jongin's body, admiring the long lithe legs. He notices those long, pretty legs get closer, almost close enough to brush against his own, and his eyes linger on Jongin’s crotch a split second before he yanks them back up to Jongin's face.

"Thirsty?" Jongin asks, extending a shot glass and a smile that proves – crap! – he noticed. He totally noticed Kyungsoo checking him out.

Kyungsoo is not one to turn down free drinks. He is a broke college kid, after all. And dealing with this situation is going to take an immense amount of liquor. "Thanks…" he finally agrees.

Jongin cutely offers to clink glasses, and Kyungsoo can't help but grin at the gesture, giving in and clinking before throwing it back.

They lean against the bar, side by side, and look out toward the dancing crowd.

“You’d think the school year was already over with how everyone’s going so hard out there,” Jongin says, leaning down to speak the words close to Kyungsoo’s ear. Close enough for him to hear them and also close enough to feel Jongin’s hot breath on his cheek.

“Yeah. I bet a lot are graduating and don’t really care if they bomb their last tests. I know I won’t, next year.” Kyungsoo turns his head toward Jongin as he speaks, mimicking his closeness. Because it’s what you have to do to be heard, Kyungsoo reasons with himself. Otherwise, he’d be being rude. And maybe the whiff of Jongin’s Gucci Guilty cologne is his reward for good manners.

(God, the smell makes his knees weak. Or maybe it’s the second shot of whiskey. He didn’t eat before heading out, it’s probably the alcohol.)

“So you’re a junior then?” Jongin surmises. “That’s great.”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “Why’s that great?”

“Because it means you’ll still be around next year. And so will I. I’m a sophomore,” Jongin volunteers.

Kyungsoo makes a noncommittal hum. It’s a little odd, having Jongin hit on him with a suggestion about ‘next year.’ Doesn’t quite fit with… what he knows about him. Unless this is part of his game.

“Another whiskey, Kyungsoo?” Jongin removes the arm he’d snuck behind Kyungsoo’s back, and offers him another shot from the bar, as if by magic.

“How’d you know my name?”

“Overheard your friend use it, before they went to dance.”

Ah. “And how’d you get more drinks already? We tried calling the bartender earlier but he’s slammed.”

Jongin smiles. “Maybe I’m friends with him. Did you want a different drink? I can get him to fix you something else.”

Besties with the bartender – now _that_ jives with Kyungsoo’s expectations. “You think you’re slick, huh?” he challenges with an arched eyebrow.

Jongin takes it as an invitation for more flirting. “Naw, I just know a gorgeous guy when I see one and you, sweetheart, are breathtaking.”

Kyungsoo feels the flush crawl up his neck and blossom on his cheeks, even as he steels his expression to convey nonchalance. He does accept the whiskey shot and slams it back. He’s soooo tempted to play this thing through and live a little, but there are nagging alarm bells in his head that remind him he shouldn’t, especially not with this guy.

After Jongin downs his own shot, he turns to him with a genuine smile and an outstretched hand. “Come on. Dance with me. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Kyungsoo blinks once, twice, and then curiosity gets the better of him. He takes Jongin’s hand and steps into the writhing mass of dancing bodies.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Baekhyun is living his best life on the dance floor. He’s been able to grind up on four different guys across the last four songs. Each one was okay, but seemed limited to the one white guy dance move of on-beat-simulated-bouncing-in-place. Fine for a song – not enough to keep him interested, though.

As the DJ remixes one techno song into the next, Baekhyun starts drifting back toward the bar. His buzz is wearing thin and he needs another drink.

“Hey sugar.” Baekhyun tries flirting with a guy that’s moving with purpose toward the bartender, playfully ‘stumbling’ into him and grabbing his bicep. Unfortunately, it turns out that he’s straight, gross. Baek drops his arm like a bad habit and swivels his head about, looking for another mark.

“Oh! Minnie! Sehunnie!” He spies his friends dancing a few meters away and cha-chas his way over. As he reaches them, the DJ talks to the crowd.

“So tell me, good clubbers of Heaven, how many of you are graduating?”

Minseok hollers, as does Baekhyun while pointing at him, trying to boost the attention on Minseok.

“That’s a lot! Okay, this next song is a dance off for the graduates only. I need someone to start us off – who will it be?” The DJ puts his hand above his brow, scanning the crowd like a lifeguard at a packed beachfront.

“Help me hoist him up!” Baekhyun hoots at Sehun. Together, they put Minseok up on their shoulders. Poor dude is leaning a bit left since Baekhyun’s significantly shorter than Sehun, but it works. The DJ sees him and tosses a graduation cap to him.

“Put it on and show us your stuff! Give the man some room to work, everyone!” the DJ hollers.

Baekhyun and Sehun lower Minseok down as he fixes the mortarboard on his head, a golden tassel hanging down to the right. Never shy about being pushy, Baek starts shooing people back, dancing around in a wide circle to give his bro a clean 3 meter circle to strut his stuff.

Minseok shows off some high quality hip swivels and fancy footwork. The tassel on the graduation cap swings side to side to the beat of the song as the soon-to-be-graduate adds some tasteful thrusts to his routine, much to the approval of the crowd.

“Go Minnie! Go Minnie!” Baekhyun chants, egging him on and getting a cheery wink in return. Sehun joins him in hyping up their hyung, one hand on Baek’s shoulder as he chants along. Flashing lights, bright smiles all around: this is why Baekhyun loves the club scene. It’s so alive with energy.

Once Minseok has had enough, he tosses the mortarboard high in the air to a round of cheers, and the cap falls back down and into the hands of another senior, who puts it on and starts her own high quality shuffle steps. Nice.

After several hearty claps on Minnie’s back, Baekhyun leaves his two friends to continue his quest for More Alcohol. He’s almost made it off the dance floor and into the bar area when he spies Kyungsoo, cautiously dancing with that Jongin guy from outside the club.

The only thing Baek lives for more than his own thirst for dick and booze is teasing Do Kyungsoo. So he sidles up the couple and bumps Kyungsoo from behind, sending him two stumble steps forward and into the guy’s chest.

“Sorry, sorry, coming through. Man it’s crowded in here!” Baekhyun says with a shit-eating grin. “Don’t hog the whole dance floor, you two. Conserve some space for passersby.” As he jabbers, Baekhyun takes the liberty of grabbing Jongin’s hand and putting it around Kyungsoo’s waist til it has a nice fit in the small of his back.

He takes Kyungsoo’s hand to wrap around Jongin’s neck but Kyungsoo yanks it away at the last moment with a rough “Baekhyun!” bark at him. He notices that Jongin has maintained his new hand position and looks delighted with the development, though, and Kyungsoo slowly recognizes it as well, flushing red and letting his hand settle on Jongin’s shoulder instead.

“Ah, that’s much better. Thank you for your consideration of other patrons!” Baekhyun says. An idea strikes him before he steps away. “Hey,” he asks Jongin. “Where is that tall drink of water that you came to the club with?”

Jongin now has two hands around Kyungsoo’s waist and a leg between his as they dance. The man isn’t about to cede any of that territory to point, so he does a head tilt in the general direction to the left. “Was at the far side of the bar last I knew!”

“Thanks!” Baek pats him on the shoulder, winks at Kyungsoo, who is somewhere between terrified and horny, and flounces off to the back side of the bar.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

“...and that’s why I’ll never drink Dos Equis,” Chanyeol says firmly.

“That’s ridiculous, Yeol.” Jongdae rolls his eyes and hammers the bar to get his brother’s attention. Junmyeon looks up at them but shakes his head. Too busy right now.

“It’s _not_ ridiculous. They missed a major opportunity and should be judged accordingly. The Most Interesting Man in the World’s retirement shoulda paved the way for the Most Interesting Woman in the World, not some B-list replacement actor trying to fill the original’s shoes!” Chanyeol can’t help but rant once he gets going. Blame it on him being a marketing major, but this shit really pissed him off. “Misogyny in the alcohol industry has been a--”

“Oh my god, can I please get piss drunk without a lecture? One of the major benefits of dropping out was supposed to be NO. MORE. LECTURES.” Jongdae rants right back at him.

Maybe they’ve had a bit too much to drink. Five bottles in one hour. Yeah, they’re feeling it.

“Well hello there, stranger.” The auburn angel from outside the club has suddenly reappeared before Chanyeol, and he’s smiling up at him, all bright teeth and cute button nose.

“Hi,” Chanyeol replies.

“Why are you hiding back here, handsome? I’ve been keeping an eye open for you, but haven’t seen you at all on the dance floor.”

There are two very good reasons for that. One: he’s been getting free booze from Junmyeon this whole time. Two: he can’t dance to save his life. He’s doing everyone a favor by staying _off_ the dance floor. All that comes out when Chanyeol opens his mouth to respond, however, is: 

“Here’s better.”

The boy pouts at him and leans against the bar. His long, pretty fingers play with the chain necklace hanging down his front, the finger tips flitting back and forth along the edges. “Okay, well, how about I try that, hanging out here, and see for myself if it’s better?”

Chanyeol nods dumbly, as Jongdae snickers on the other side of him.

“So… why is it better exactly?” the boy asks after several seconds of silence.

“There’s beer,” Chanyeol says, holding up his mostly drunk bottle. The cheeky boy actually takes it from his hand, wraps his lips around it suggestively and throws it back, getting the last swig and licking the final drop from the lip of the bottle. Chanyeol’s dick is awake and attentive while his mind is still in disbelief that this hot guy is into _him._

“Aren’t you going to offer to buy me a drink?” the boy asks.

“YO JUNMYEON!” Chanyeol hollers immediately. Luckily, the bartender has just finished serving a group and is able to hustle over. “Two beers, please. One for me and one for…”

“Baekhyun,” the boy supplies with a winning smile. “Or Baek for short.”

“Coming right up,” Junmyeon says, shooting Yeol a look that says ‘ _not bad’_ as he pops the tops to two more bottles.

Chanyeol gentlemanly passes the first to Baekhyun and takes the second.

“To a fun night,” Baek toasts, offering the neck of his beer toward him. They clink bottlenecks and take a chug. 

Well, Chaneyol takes a chug. Baekhyun starts and just doesn’t stop until the whole thing is downed. He slams the empty bottle on the counter and declares, “Okay, we tried your spot in the club. Now it’s time to try mine. Come on, cowboy.”

Before he can protest, Chanyeol is being tugged out of the quiet back corner and directly onto the dance floor.

Oh boy.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

“Okay, okay, your grandpa hyung needs a break, Hunnie.” Minseok pants at his best friend and grabs onto his elbow. “Be a dear and walk me to the bar.”

“Alright old man,” Sehun agrees with a half-grin.

It’s mostly a joke, but Minseok does feel winded and sweaty after the celebratory dancing. The two of them wobble off the dance floor, where the graduation cap continues to make the rounds. Someone even produced a black gown out of nowhere, so the whole costume is complete as people act a fool, doing the worm and the Carlton in full regalia.

They pass by the front section of the bar that’s closest to the dance floor because that area is still three people deep. Eventually, they settle in closer to the back, where they’re able to grab actual barstools to sit on and pull them up right to the counter. While they wait to catch the bartender, Minseok brushes Sehun’s sweaty fringe back.

“You need a haircut.”

“Yes, _dad._ I’ll get one tomorrow, while you’re hungover and regretting your life choices,” Sehun teases back.

Minseok smiles. “So long as you make me some haejangguk to cure the hangover before you go.”

Sehun narrows his eyes at him, but nods before he looks away.

“That’s my guy. I love you, roomie,” Minseok gives a tight sidearm hug. He’s going to miss Sehun so much when he leaves for that new job in London.

As he lets go of Sehun, he notices across the bar the familiar guy from outside. A light bulb goes off, and he thinks he remembers who he is. “Hey, Sehunnie. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Sehun replies, waving down the bartender. “I’ll have a drink ready for you.”

“Thanks!”

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Jongdae frowns at the bottlecap that he’s tried to spin four times unsuccessfully on the counter. He gives up and starts trying to stack them as high as he can instead. He’s at six and feeling pretty good about himself when a voice beside him disrupts his concentration.

“Hey.”

Spooked, Jongdae’s next bottlecap clatters onto the tower and they crash down. “Ugh, you startled me.” He turns to look at the intruder. A sweet guy looking sheepish.

“Sorry, I can help you rebuild it?” he offers.

Jongdae shakes his head. “Don’t bother, it was just a dumb idea. I’m full of those,” he jokes self-deprecatingly and sips his beer.

“I think I know you. You’re Jongdae, right?”

Jongdae freezes at this. “Yeah, and you are?”

“I’m Minseok. I’m a graduating computer science major. You were in one of my upper level seminars last year as a freshman, weren’t you?”

Sigh. Jongdae hangs his head for a quick second before popping it back up. “Maybe.”

“You were working on a really cool new programming language, I remember. X-EXO, right?” Minseok asks, way too excited and encouraging for Jongdae’s taste.

He slurps his beer again before replying with a resigned, “Yup,” popping the p.

“That was so cool. It was like, we were all trying to master C++ and you’re playing 12D chess by inventing your own language. It was awe-inspiring!”

“Thanks,” Jongdae says flatly. “I’d rather not talk about school, though.”

Minseok nods. “Yeah, I get it. We’re in a club, we’re drinking, my bad. But where have you been? I haven’t seen you since that fall semester.”

“I dropped out.” Jongdae isn’t quite sure why he’s telling the truth. It’d be just as easy to lie and say he’s switched majors or even to tell the guy it’s just none of his damn business, but… something about Minseok’s sincerity, concern almost, gets to him.

“Oh. OH.” Minseok pauses. Giving him space to elaborate. “I’m sorry. Did you have scholarship trouble or personal life issues that needed--”

“Nothing nearly that sympathetic,” Jongdae says flatly. “I just thought I was way hotter shit than I actually was. Got an offer from a startup company and took it, figuring I could be the next Zuckerberg or Gates or whatever. And I’m not.”

“Wow, you got hired away as a _freshman??_ That’s incredible!” Minseok is looking at him with even more awe, which makes no sense.

“Didn’t you hear me? I failed. Company went under within three months.”

“So what, lots of startups fail. I’m sure it wasn’t _your_ fault they didn’t make it. Dude, that is so awesome - you’ve already got startup experience. At 19. Damn!” Minseok offers a fist bump, and Jongdae stares at it in disbelief for a few seconds before humoring him and bumping fists, a small smile curling on his lips.

“Guess I never really thought about it that way,” he admits, taking another sip of his drink. It tastes smoother than before.

“Well maybe you should.”

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Junmyeon’s hands are starting to wrinkle from all the time spent washing them between fixing drinks. Bleh, he’s going to need to keep his fancy hand cream up here at work.

Luckily, it seems like the midnight rush is over, and most people are hammered enough (or broke enough) to be done with ordering large batches of drinks at a time. He even has a chance to wipe the bar down as he moves toward the back to serve a calm customer.

“Water for me, and a whiskey for my friend. Make it on the rocks, he could use the ice to help cool him down.”

“Water and whiskey - hey I remember you from earlier,” Junmyeon says with a smile.

“Yeah, and I’m _still_ not drinking. I’m the DD,” the guy says. His slender eyes have an attractive curve to them, and his jawline looks strong enough to cut glass. Junmyeon isn’t positive if it’s this prominent because the dude seems annoyed or if it’s just always this way.

“I think you and I may be the only sober people in this joint,” Junmyeon says with a smile, filling up a tumbler with ice and cool water. “What’s your name?”

“Sehun.” He takes the tall glass with an appreciative nod. “And you?”

“Junmyeon. So how’d you end up the lucky driver for your friends tonight?”

“Ah, well one of my friends is graduating next week - the one this whiskey is for. So he wasn’t a candidate. Another one is… too impulsive and rowdy for club nights to be trusted to stay off the booze. That left me and one other friend, and well, if he had to DD, he probably wouldn’t have come. Almost didn’t come as it is. So the honor is mine,” Sehun finishes this off with a twirly flourish of his hand.

“Cute,” Junmyeon chuckles aloud. “Let me guess: You’re also the youngest.”

Sehun stops mid drink. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

Junmyeon shrugs. “Just a hunch. Alcohol often gives hyungs the excuse to be the one babied for the night, when they’re normally the ones expected to dote on you otherwise.”

“Sons of bitches,” Sehun exclaims, eyes wide with this eureka moment. “They totally do this on purpose.”

His mouth is hanging slightly agape, so Junmyeon playfully closes it with a gentle tap of his fist. “Don’t judge them too much. I know what it’s like. I’m usually the oldest in the circles I run in, too.”

He sets down the whiskey he’s been preparing, just to the right of Sehun’s water. Feeling the glass strike the bar top, Sehun snaps out of it and looks around.

“I don’t know where my friend is right now,” he frowns.

“What about the other two, that you didn’t buy drinks for?” Junmyeon asks. “Have you kept track of them?”

They turn together to look toward the dance floor. Under the multi-colored disco lights, a mass of partiers bop to the EDM track. Several are starting to get handsy, and a few couples have migrated from the dance floor to booths along the outer walls.

“I’ll never understand why people think making out in public is an acceptable thing to do,” Sehun says, making a face. “Like, that girl is trying to eat that other girl’s face in plain view of a hundred people. Why.”

Junmyeon checks up and down the bar, knowing he’s lingering a bit too long for one customer, but he’s enjoying Sehun’s company too much to wander to the other side and take more orders. “I don’t know. Doesn’t appeal to me either. But maybe some are just too excited to wait for a more discrete location. Speaking of which…” Junmyeon points to a pair he’s spotted on the dance floor. “Isn’t that your friend from before, out there kissing Jongin?”

“What? Where?” Sehun searches the area and finds them. “Oh my god.” He pounds his fist on the bar gleefully. “Well good for him. Kyungsoo needs someone to help him let go of his inhibitions. I’ll take back my blanket condemnation of public displays of affection. I guess sometimes - oh gross, Baekhyun!”

“Huh?” Junmyeon watches as Sehun’s face goes sour, like he’s eaten a bad lemon, and flinches away.

“To the left. And you know that Jongin guy? You might know this other one then. He was with him outside the club earlier.”

Junmyeon scans left and sees Chanyeol doing his best to lowkey dance, which is always an awkward sight to see. But it’s made even more erratic than usual because the guy he’s with has a hand stuffed down the front of his pants.

“Should we… do something?” he asks, bewildered at what may be the first public handjob he’s ever witnessed. And on his dongsaeng Chanyeol, ick. He’s known the kid since middle school.

“If they don’t cut it out by the end of the song, I’ll go tell them to take it to the restroom or something,” Sehun gags and chugs his water.

“I wish I could drink and erase that image from my head,” Junmyeon groans, deciding to focus on wiping the bar down again.

“You and me both,” Sehun says, commiserating.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

The dance floor is Jongin’s natural habitat. He’s never more at ease, more self-assured, than when it’s him, music, and a space dedicated to moving to the rhythm.

Add in the fact that he has a hot guy like Kyungsoo in his arms, and Jongin is truly in Heaven. They’ve been slow grinding to the backbeat of the past two songs, and Jongin can feel Kyungsoo’s boner dig into his thigh every so often, so he’s confident enough to close the small gap between their faces and kiss him. Jongin hums sensually at the feel of soft, cushiony lips molding to his. He doesn’t linger too long, pulling back just enough to check Kyungsoo’s face for a reaction.

His beautiful doe eyes stay at half mast, zeroed in on Jongin’s lips, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Kyungsoo pulls him in by the back of the neck for another, longer liplock. Their mouths part and the kiss turns hungrier, wetter, and now they’re both panting against each other.

“Off the dance floor,” Kyungsoo says, breathlessly, steering them toward the wall. They continue making out as they maneuver away from the crowd, ending up right next to an exit door.

“Wanna come back to my place?” Jongin asks shamelessly. _Please say yes, please say yes._

“Can’t,” Kyungsoo replies, but still continuing to kiss him with purpose, so Jongin’s not too disappointed. “My friends I came with, they’d never expect me to leave without them.”

“Oh, right. Mine, too.” Jongin vaguely remembers Jongdae and Chanyeol and the fact that he’s their ride. Their ride. Jongin pushes the exit door open and steps out, holding Kyungsoo’s hand and encouraging him to follow.

He does, though with a skeptical look on his face. They spill out into the parking lot.

“What about... my car?” Jongin asks, fumbling into his pocket for his keys and hitting the unlock button. His BMW flashes its headlights, three spaces away. He revels in watching Kyungsoo’s eyes blow wide at his fancy car, and reels him in for another deep kiss until they’re opening the door to the back seat.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, nodding as he folds into the car, “but only if I top.”

“Wha—” Jongin wasn’t actually sure they were going all the way, but jackpot. “Um, okay I guess?”

“I… I’m not someone who sleeps around a lot,” Kyungsoo stammers, as they remove their jackets, “and… I don’t think I could… take all of... you.”

“Oh, well, I mean, I’m fine either way,” Jongin says, taking off his shirt and enjoying Kyungsoo’s stare at his chest, “but what makes you think I wouldn’t be a gentleman and loosen you up properly?”

“I don’t think it’s an issue that can be fixed with just regular… stretching.”

Jongin is confused but doesn’t want to pry into the guy’s medical history or something. He just wants to fuck. Like, really badly. He moves in to kiss those gorgeous full lips again. “Okay. Okay, whatever you want, baby.”

Kyungsoo licks nervously over his lower lip and then blurts out, “I mean, you’re ridiculously big.”

“Huh?” That stops Jongin in his tracks. He is a realist, and his dick may be powerful but it’s perfectly average in size. “Why do you think-“

“I’ve seen the condoms you buy, okay!”

It’s like someone sucked all the air out of the car with that one swift confession, which confuses the hell out of Jongin until - it clicks. “Oh my - Look, my sister broke her arm last month, and the doctor told us to use condoms to cover the cast during showers so that it’s waterproof. It made sense to me to buy the biggest ones I could find since it’s got to fit over her whole arm– Why do you even know what condoms I buy??” Jongin asks incredulously.

Kyungsoo has buried his bright red face in his hands, and lets out a sigh before dropping them and explaining. “Because I work in the grocery store where you buy them. I noticed the Mega Big Boy condoms kept running out despite me restocking them weekly, and that had _never_ been a thing before last month so… I tried to spy on who kept taking them. And I saw you grab three packs one day, so I just… assumed.”

“That I was hung like a horse?” Jongin laughs.

“And that you had a ridiculous amount of sex! Like who goes through that many condoms _every_ week for twelve weeks?”

“A guy with a sister who has a shattered ulna,” Jongin explains, wheezing at the ridiculousness of the situation as well as Kyungsoo’s animated gestures and outrageously wide eyes as he explains it all.

“God, I feel like an idiot now,” Kyungsoo says, laughing along.

“Wait, be honest. Did you turn me down earlier tonight because of this?”

“Yes! I was both curious and terrified. I mean, you’re hot, you’re interested, but it was like an existential crisis. Who wants death by dick?”

Jongin loses the last of his composure, succumbing to his highest pitch laugh that his friends always tell him is unattractive, but he can’t help it. This is, without question, the most enjoyable hookup he’s ever had.

And they haven’t even gotten their pants off yet.

As their laughs calm back down, Kyungsoo runs a hand through his hair and apologizes. “I’m sorry. I’ve totally ruined the mood. It’s fine if you don’t want to mess around anymore, I get it.”

Jongin strokes over Kyungsoo’s thigh, calmingly. “No, I definitely want to. Even more now. Though I’m afraid I’m less exciting and mysterious than you built me up to be.” He walks his fingers up Kyungsoo’s thigh and inside his shirt, grazing sensually along his slim waist to try and ease them back into the mood.

Kyungsoo responds to the touch with a light gasp, leaning into Jongin’s space and sliding a palm over his chest, fingertips curling over his shoulder to tug him into a heated kiss. “You’re plenty exciting just like this.”

Their hands roam more freely after that, until Jongin has pulled Kyungsoo’s shirt over his head and their pants also find their way to the backseat floor.

With no hesitation, Kyungsoo peels Jongin’s boxerbriefs down to reveal his throbbing cock and strokes it with one finger from root to tip. Jongin’s head bangs back against the window at the pleasant sensation, and watches Kyungsoo play with the precum that’s now beaded at the tip, smearing it around the cockhead.

“Don’t choke on it,” Jongin tries to tease through panted breaths. Kyungsoo looks him dead in the eye, defiantly, as he sinks down on his dick, mouth stretched wide to take him all the way in in one go, and Jongin moans so loudly, he thinks it’s audible over the bass streaming out of the club into the parking lot.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

It’s not that he’s not loving the attention, because he is, but Chanyeol is freaking out because people are starting to notice that Baekhyun’s hand isn’t just down his pants: It’s moving. “C-can we go somewhere?” he squeaks, praying this impish boy doesn’t peg him as a total prude and drop him.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Baekhyun says slyly, with a cutesy peck to Chanyeol’s nose that does _not_ match the way he was working his lithe fingers around his cock a second ago. “Follow me.”

Chanyeol hangs on to Baekhyun’s hand as they weave through the crowd, trying not to waddle or stumble with his raging hard-on between his legs. Baek looks back at him once or twice with a twinkle in his eye, until they finally reach the men’s room and push inside.

“You really can’t dance to save your life, can you?” he teases in a delighted voice.

“I’d like to see you try while someone jerks you off,” Chanyeol spars back, daring to brush the front of Baekhyun’s jeans.

“Yes, I would’ve liked to too, but you were too shy to help me out there, hmm?” He leans in close, one eyebrow cocked upward in challenge. He… hadn’t really considered that Baekhyun was inviting him to give mutual handies on the dance floor. Without any witty comeback, Chanyeol opts to kiss that tempting smirk instead.

A stall door opens, and Baekhyun directs them into it. Before Chanyeol can even close the door, Baek is back down his pants and using those mischievous fingers in _all_ the right ways. It felt good before, but now, without the constriction of his jeans, Baekhyun’s really got a firm grip and the little twists of his wrists amp up the pleasure even more. Combine that with the visual Chanyeol now has of his pretty fingers, skating up and down his shaft and then tugging him so well: it’s too much.

“I- I’m…” he spills over before he can even get the words out.

“Twenty seconds! A new record for me,” Baekhyun chirps victoriously as he uses some toilet paper to wipe up the mess on his hand. He dabs at Chanyeol’s cock to clean it, causing him to spazz backward against the stall door from sensitivity.

“Fuck, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, I’m flattered.” Baekhyun manages to say this with a toothy grin that suggests he really means it. “I’m sure you’ll last longer later when - omg, glory hole!”

Chanyeol turns to look at what’s made Baek’s eyes light up like it’s Christmas. In the sidewall of the stall, there’s a hole cut in the wall that’s 10cm in diameter.

“I’ve never had the chance to see one in real life!” Baekhyun’s fascination with it seems akin to a collector finding a rare item. He touches the area of the wall surrounding the hole delicately, and gets down so that it’s at eye level, marveling at it.

“I could suck you off on the other side if you want?” Chanyeol offers. Wow, this night got wild fast; he’s never had a clubbing experience like this before.

“Would you?!” Baek squeals, rising up on tippy toes to kiss Chanyeol firmly. “Hell yes, a bucket list roleplay! Go on the other side and pretend like you don’t know me!” He spins Chanyeol around by the shoulders and guides him out of the stall.

Chanyeol chuckles. “Well that should be easy, since I basically _don’t_ know you.”

“Oh hush and get my dick in your mouth.”

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Jongdae can’t believe that Minseok has got him reminiscing about his one college semester… and he’s actually laughing.

“The time when the professor had his laptop’s browser on the projector and like, five of his tabs looked like Star Wars fanfics!” Minseok reminds him.

“I remember thinking, please don’t be slave Leia smut, _please_ don’t be slave Leia smut,” Jongdae says between chuckles. “Oh man, I had shoved that into the back recesses of my mind. Thanks for drudging that up. Now when I try to sleep tonight, I’m going to be haunted by the mental images of Prof Wu devouring fanfic.” He reaches over the bar and plucks out two more beers from the ice chest below, plopping them down on the counter.

Minseok looks scandalized. “Are you stealing these?”

“Naw, my big bro is the bartender. We’re cool. Cheers.”

“To college,” Minseok says. His tone is serious, bottle leaning out encouraging Jongdae to agree with the toast.

Dae shrugs. “To college. And leaving it behind.”

They each take a long draw from their bottles, and then it’s quiet between them.

“You know, if you’re not sure what’s next, there’s no shame in going back to school while you figure it out.”

So direct. And hitting the nail on the head. “Isn’t there, though? Shame?”

Minseok shakes his head. “No way. And if you’re worried about the teachers treating you that way, I really don’t think that’d be the case. In the next sequence course, after the one you were in, Professor Zhang talks about the five times he was fired in two years.”

“Five??”

“Yeah, five. See, most of us dream too small, so we might never hit the wall like you did. But true dreamers, true inventors like you, well… you’ll find the walls but only because you cover more ground than most, charting paths into unknown territory.” Minseok gulps his beer, and Jongdae’s eyes catch on the bob of his adam’s apple. “Or something like that, I dunno, I’m not a philosophy major,“ Minseok jokes. “And I’m a little tipsy. BUT. I know that you should go back.”

“I’ll think about it,” Jongdae says. And unlike the times he’s said this to Junmyeon or his parents, this time, it isn’t a lie. He really will think about it. “Thank you. For believing in me, for whatever reason.”

“You were amazingly talented,” Minseok says, so open yet again with his praise. “And just between us,” he lowers his voice and leans in to whisper his next words like a secret, “maybe I had a little bit of a crush on you back then.”

Impulsively, Jongdae closes the small distance between them and plants a kiss right on Minseok’s mouth. “Well just between us, maybe I have a little bit of a crush on you right now.”

Minseok’s cheeks blush a lovely rosy color, and he gives Jongdae another kiss in return. “I’d ask you out, but I’m actually leaving for a tech job in London next week, right after graduation.” He pulls out a business card from his wallet, that has his name, new job title, and phone number on it. “But call me, once you’re enrolled. Maybe I can get you an internship next summer? They recruit at our school. And I have no doubt that in just a few years… you’d be my superior.”

Jongdae takes the card and makes a disbelieving face at him. “I don’t know about that.”

“Oh yeah? Well prove me wrong,” Minseok says, his hand on Jongdae’s forearm. He gives it a reassuring squeeze, and then gets up from his seat, and walks away.

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Sehun gradually realizes that he’s been talking with Junmyeon off and on for hours now. Sure, the bartender had to keep his head on a swivel and fix drinks pretty consistently, but he invited Sehun to move to a different seat at the bar where he actually mixes the drinks, so they’re able to keep a conversation going with brief interruptions when Junmyeon is either taking or delivering an order.

Sehun keeps watching Junmyeon even when he walks away for these customer interactions, admiring the easy smile on his face and cheery head bobs he gives to affirm an order. He knows Junmyeon is working hard for tips, but lots of waitstaff just feign exuberance. Junmyeon embodies it.

“Two drinks for those girls. Place your bet,” he says as he returns to his work station.

“Hmmm, sex on the beach and a cosmo,” Sehun guesses. It’s a game they’ve decided to play.

“Oooo, so close. Vodka cranberry and a cosmo. Now come here,” Junmyeon leans forward with outstretched fingers, locked and loaded in flick-ready position.

“Hey! Half right should go to the player as a win. The odds are stacked too much toward the house,” Sehun whines.

“How about I do it half as hard?” Junmyeon compromises.

Grumbling, Sehun lifts his fringe off his forehead and braces for the flick. Instead of a little sting of pain, he feels the light caress of Junmyeon’s fingertip tracing a heart on his forehead. It sends pleasant tingles down his spine, and he does his best not to shiver.

“It was a good guess,” he says, patting Sehun on top of his head as he pulls back to quickly fix the drinks.

Sehun can feel the flush on his neck. He gulps his water some more and asks about the finer details of making a good cosmo to have something to talk about. Sehun has zero interest in honing his mixing skills, but listening to Junmyeon speak authoritatively on a topic which such confidence… is hot.

Fuck. He’s got hyung issues. _Major_ hyung issues.

The realization has him sitting up straight in his seat. He’s been dreading next week when Minseok leaves for England, sure. He’s been attached to Minseok for years, even trailed after him to the same university specifically because he couldn’t imagine going to school away from Minnie. It wasn’t a romantic attraction with Minseok. (Sehun had gotten over the initial crush quickly back in middle school.) But there was an undeniable sense of abandonment, a void looming ahead, a lack of hyung figure who would continue to dote on him and care for him in the same protective, coaching way that Minseok had.

Obviously, Baekhyun was in no position to provide Sehun with this comfort. And sure, he had Kyungsoo, but they were too close in age for the _wisdom_ and (his cheeks heat up as he admits it) the occasional _condescension_ that a hyung figure like Minseok could really bestow. This is what he longs for. And it seems as though the heavens above are truly gifting him a perfect exemplar, that’s handsome to boot, in the shape of Junmyeon. Might as well draw a halo around this guy - he seems _perfect._

The bartender returns after serving the girls their drinks and starts chatting with him again. “So, are you and your friends staying until the place closes down officially?”

“Naw, we’re supposed to head out at 1am.”

Junmyeon chuckles. “You might be uh, a little late then. Because it’s already 3.”

“Laaassssst call! Last call for the bar,” the DJ announces, as if on cue. Some of the club crowd turn and stampede in their general direction.

“Well, it looks like I’m about to get slammed with orders, so--”

“Wait.” Sehun puts a hand over Junmyeon’s before he can step away. “Uh, I’d like to order one more water,” he says shamelessly.

Junmyeon looks at their connected hands and smiles a shy smile. “Okay, Sehun. Just for you.”

“And maybe I’d like… to get your phone number, too?”

Junmyeon tops off the water glass and leans in close. “If I could, I’d kiss you right now. But I can’t since I’m on duty.” He chuckles lightly. “We can’t kiss, can’t drink - this was a shitty first date. But I promise I’ll make it up to you, if you’ll let me, on Thursday night? Dinner and a movie?”

“I’d love that,” Sehun says, beaming from ear to ear for the first time this evening.

Junmyeon pulls out a napkin from his back pocket and slides it to Sehun as he walks away and toward the boozy mob. “Just so you know… I’ve been carrying that around for the past two hours. Waiting to give it to you when you’d say you have to go.”

Sehun picks up the napkin and unfolds it to read:

_822-555-0194 <3 Text me if I can be more than just your water boy. I promise to be just as attentive to your every need ;) Junmyeon _

⬪ ⬨ ⬥ ⬨ ⬪

Lying down in the backseat of a car has never been his idea of comfortable experience, but right now, Kyungsoo is blissfully content. The steam on the windows has dissipated from their earlier romp, and Jongin cracked the windows open to let a cool breeze from the night air waft through, making it the perfect temperature to snuggle.

Kinda crazy, to think that he’s _snuggling_ with a club hookup. Then, again, any club hookup sounded crazy prior to the last few hours. 

After deep-throating Jongin like a champ, Kyungsoo pulled off before Jongin could come and asked for a condom to wrap him up in anticipation of climbing onto Jongin’s lap. As it turns out, Jongin didn’t carry condoms for personal use, and Kyungsoo sure as hell didn’t either, so they only had the Mega Big Boys that were still in the car from Jongin’s grocery run today. Ironically, the fit wasn’t great on Jongin’s dick, especially at the base where it was most important, so they tried it on Kyungsoo and low and behold: His girth made for a better seal. Oh how Jongin teased him for this. _‘Look at you, all scared of me when you’re walking around packing this fat cock.’_ Kyungsoo was temporarily mortified at this reversal of fate and such dirty talk, hands over his red face, until Jongin had sunk down on him and pulled his hands off his face and onto Jongin’s waist.

The rest of the experience was heaven. When their bodies were sated, they had tugged on underwear and pants. Worried about the awkwardness after sex, Kyungsoo mumbled something about needing to get home to let out Hoochoo, and Jongin’s eyes had lit up. _‘You have a dog? What breed? I have three.’_

The next thing he knew, he and Jongin were discussing favorite habits of their pooches and giggling together over pictures they had of them in their phones. Somewhere amid the conversation, Jongin had laid down and pulled Kyungsoo onto his chest to get cozy, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“So what plans do you have for summer?” Jongin asks, absentmindedly stroking Kyungsoo’s back.

“Not much. Staying here, working at the grocery, taking one summer course. What about you?”

“Same. I mean, taking two summer courses and working a dance camp, but ya know. Same general idea.”

“That’s nice,” Kyungsoo says, hesitating.

“Would you want to--”

“Do you think you’d like to--”

They both stop out of politeness, trying not to interrupt the other. Kyungsoo lifts his head off of Jongin’s chest to look him in the eyes as they both chuckle.

“I was gonna ask if you’d like to meet up at the dog park just off-campus. Maybe let the dogs meet,” Kyungsoo ventures.

“Whoa whoa whoa. I was just going to ask you to dinner. You’re skipping straight to meeting each other’s children,” Jongin says with a teasing smile. “Slow down there, stud.”

“I didn’t-- You know that’s not how I meant it.” Kyungsoo gives him a playful whop on the shoulder.

“I know. But damn you’re cute when you’re flustered.”

Great, now Kyungsoo’s even _more_ flustered. “You already got in my pants. What are you still flirting for?” he sasses back.

“Maybe I want in them again.”

“Right now?”

“I mean, I was thinking later this week, but I’m not gonna turn down round two,” Jongin says, kissing him square on the mouth, all smiles.

Unfortunately, at this precise moment, people start pouring out of the club and into the parking lot. Loud noises flood the air, voices of people saying goodbye or beeping their cars unlocked. With the open windows, it feels like they’re right in the backseat with them, so Kyungsoo returns the kiss but sits back up and fishes their shirts off the floor.

He tosses Jongin his and pulls his own on. “I should probably find my friends, and yours are likely looking for you. Gimme your phone. I’ll text myself from it and then we can figure out when to get dinner--”

“Or introduce our fur families. You can’t take that back now,” Jongin says as he hands over his phone.

Kyungsoo sends the text, a goofy grin on his face, and then returns the phone. “I had fun,” he says as he opens the car door to leave.

“Me, too.” Jongin says sincerely.

Kyungsoo is only a few steps from the car when he hears Jongin exit as well and jog up to him.

“Oh and Soo,” he whispers in his ear. “I’ll be sure to bring condoms that fit me next time.” With a peck on his cheek, Jongin turns and bounds away back toward the club to look for his friends.

Kyungsoo heads toward where Sehun parked and finds two of his three buddies already there. Just Baekhyun missing.

“Well, well, well.” Minseok drawls. “Looks like someone ruined your hairdo, Soo. Now how on earth could that have happened, Sehun?”

“I’m sure I cannot tell, Minseok. This is quite the mystery.” Sehun fakes a thinking face, chin on his fist. “Perhaps Baek can enlighten us.”

Kyungsoo looks over his shoulder and sees Baekhyun strolling up behind him. “Kyungie got laiiiiid! And I helped!” Baek says proudly. “Couldn’t let you pass up that opportunity. You’re welcome. I accept thanks in the form of Venmo and pizza.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes as they pile into Sehun’s car.

“See, aren’t you glad you came out tonight?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says openly. “Yes I am.”

“Me, too.” Minseok agrees.

“Even I’ll admit, I’m happy I came,” Sehun chimes in.

Baekhyun pokes each one of them in the side, eliciting a groan from each, as he rubs in how he knew this club was a great idea. “So we’re all down to do it again next weekend after commencement, right?”

“Only if I’m not DD,” Sehun says.

“Not it,” Kyungsoo says quickly.

“Not it!” Minseok chimes in immediately afterward.

“Aw, COME ON!” wails Baekhyun.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to capture the different phases of college graduation (pre, post, and a drop out who isn’t even sure it can happen for him anymore) with Minseok, Junmyeon, and Jongdae’s situations. No matter where you’re at right now, I hope this fic gave you a sparkle of optimism for your future. Oh, and Mega Big Boy condoms are an actual brand, btw. The things authors do in the name of ~research~ :))) okay I’ll go hide now. Thanks for reading this royal ships fic!
> 
> at1stsoo
> 
> [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/at1stsoo)


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